Geppetto How-To

Welcome to Geppetto's How-To Guide. Geppetto is Gumstix' design-to-order tool for creating custom expansion boards quickly and easily. A design can be completed in hours minutes, and ready to ship in 15 business days.

Board Builder

It is one of the easiest ways to start a design in Geppetto. You just choose and select from a list of functionalities, click a button and the modules will be on your board.

The Geppetto Board Builder is one of the ways to start a Geppetto design.

How to use the Board Builder?

1. Choose functionalities or modules

Select the group you want on the board (e.g. COM or Processor). Board Builder will suggest a list of COM or Processor you can choose from on the left box. If you don't find what you need, use the Search functionality.

2. Click the [Start Build] button.

Board Builder will add and position your modules on the board.

3. Add Power

Board Builder also includes a power suggestion phase. You will enable this feature by following the on-screen prompt after the modules has been added.

4. Review and Finalize

Once you're finished with steps 1-3, you will have a board that's ready for your review and finalization.

Workspace Overview

The Geppetto workspace contains all the tools to create a board

Basic Functions

Drag and Drop

Find modules from the righthand library. Modules are functional blocks that offer a specific feature, such as power, sensors, connectors, and more. To add a module, simply drag and drop its graphic onto your board.

Reposition

Drag modules with your mouse to position as desired. For more precise placement, you can nudge the module with your keyboard's arrow keys. You should keep modules within the board boundary, and in their own space (ie. not overlapping with another module).

Connect

To connect a module, hover over it and and click the requirement flags that appear. Flags allow you to establish dependencies, including power requirements, between specific modules.

Steps to Connect Modules

Color-coded requirement flags will display when you hover over a module. The flag color will indicate what needs to be done.

A yellow flag and a red flag

Connect a red requirement flag

A red flag means that its dependency needs to be fulfilled by a new module from the library. Clicking this flag will make the module library automatically display matching options. Any of these options will fulfill the requirement.

When you add a valid module to your board, the red flag should detect it and turn yellow. You can now connect those two modules via their flags.

Connect a yellow requirement flag

A yellow flag means that another module on your board can fulfill its requirement.

1. Clicking the yellow (5.0V) flag causes a new flag to appear by the valid module.

2. Now, clicking that new flag establishes the 5.0V connection.

A connection is complete when the flag turns green. You can check where the module is connected by clicking this flag.

Disconnecting a module

1. Click the requirement flag that you want to disconnect.

2. Another green flag will appear on the provider. Click it to finish disconnecting.

The requirement flag should now become yellow, meaning it has disconnected.

Additional Controls

Rotate

Right click on the module and select “ROTATE”

Or double click on the module

Or click on the module and press R on your keyboard.

The module will then rotate 90 degrees counter clockwise. Repeat until you achieve the desired rotation.

Delete

Right click on the module and select “DELETE”

Or click on the module and press Delete on your keyboard.

Color Indicators

Colors indicate the status of your board and modules. Find explanations of each status below.

Module Color

Red

A dependency or requirement is missing from the board.

Yellow

Some connections have not been met, but can be satisfied by an existing module on the board.

Green

All dependencies have been met.

Module Outline

Red

The module cannot be placed here. Placement can be invalid if it is off the board, or overlapping with another module.

Black / Gray

The module can be physically placed here.

Board Outline

Red

The board is incomplete. Either the module is not properly placed within the board, a dependency is missing from the board, or both.

Yellow

There are unresolved connections between the modules on the board.

Green

All connections and dependencies have been met. The board is ready to be submitted for verification.

Dimensions mode

Allows you to control your board size, set the distance between the edge of the board and a module, or the distance between two modules.

Steps to set dimensions

First ensure that Dimensions mode is on. Then, hover over the edge of the area to be measured until you see a dashed line.

1. Click the edge to start a dimension.

2. Click the opposing edge of the area to complete it.

Your dimension should now appear. Geppetto recognizes measurements in increments of 0.5mm. You can input a value to adjust the distance, and right-click to lock the dimension. Lastly, you can also use this mode to view the static size of any module.

Module Info mode

Allows you to see module information and access the data sheets for components associated with the module. To view the information, click a module while this mode is toggled on.

Tabs: My Account, Designed in Gumstix, Community, and Shared with Me

Besides the workspace, other tabs in the top bar offer extra functionalities:

My Account

You can sign in via your Google or Yahoo account, or use your e-mail address to create a Geppetto account. Once logged in, your saved designs will display here.

Also find toggles to change your theme colour to blue or black.

Designed by Gumstix

The Designed by Gumstix tab shows various boards sold by Gumstix and other boards designed by Gumstix Engineers. You can clone these boards and modify them to your design specifications.

Community

In the community tab, you can see designs shared by others in the Geppetto community. You can clone a board from here, or make a design based on another. Sharing designs is optional as part of the save process.

Shared with Me

In the shared with me tab, you can see designs shared by colleagues and friends only available to you. You can clone a board from here, or make a design based on it. Sharing designs is optional.

More Features: Rename and Connections

Rename

You can rename a module on your board when you do a right-click.

Connections

You can view, download, and upload connections of any given module with Connections when you right-click a module on the board.